Healthy brownies? No one will know, unless you tell them!

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Secret Ingredient Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 can black beans !

Rinse and drain the black beans. Put in blender or food processor with a little water and grind to a wet pulp. Pour back into the empty can, and fill to the top with water. Add to the brownie mix. Do not add egg or oil. Spread into baking pan. For extra yumminess, spread chocolate chips all over the top, then bake according to directions on the box.

No one will know, I promise you, that these brownies are made with black beans. Unless you tell them...

Rose roasts a chicken...

Back "in the day" when I was growing up in Maryland, roast chicken was a special meal, a country Sunday dinner proudly served for family and friends. Food doesn't have to cost a lot to be special, it just needs to be prepared with love -- and attention to detail.

Rose's chicken was enhanced by the wonderful taste and aroma of fennel, garlic, carrots, thyme and onion. The chicken was so moist, the skin lightly brown. We dined family-style, al fresco outside on the picnic table, a kid's baseball game going on in the park, Jada waiting nearby for a taste.

I'm glad and proud my daughters have re-discovered chicken, a versatile food and inexpensive. As Rose noted, when you buy a whole chicken, it's cheaper than buying the parts! And so elegant, when roasted, and served with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry Rose.

Dessert? Paula Dean's peach cobbler a la Rose (see previous post.) A quintessential summer feast.

Roasted Chicken
* 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
* 1 lemon, halved
* 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
* 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
* 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
* 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
* Olive oil


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

an epic year for Palisade peaches...

Lucky Colorado people got a good mouthful of peach this summer. I was blessed to have two peachy dishes prepared for me: A grilled peach salad Sarah made, and a peach cobbler a la Rose. I'm talkin' a little bit of heaven on earth, here.


Peach and Arugula Salad

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 firm-ripe peaches (1 1/2 lb total)
24 thin slices pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon; 1 1/4 lb)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz baby arugula (6 cups)
2 1/2 oz finely crumbled ricotta salata (1/2 cup)
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together vinegar, juice, and salt, then add extra-virgin oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Cut an X in bottom of each peach and immerse in boiling water 15 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Peel peaches and cut each into 6 wedges, then unroll pancetta slices and wrap one slice around each wedge, overlapping ends of pancetta. Heat remaining oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook peaches in 2 batches, turning over occasionally with tongs, until pancetta is browned on all sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered loosely with foil.

Divide arugula and warm pancetta-wrapped peaches among 8 salad plates. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with ricotta salata and pepper. Serve immediately.


Cooks' notes:
• Dressing can be made 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature. • Peaches can be peeled, tossed with an additional teaspoon lemon juice, and wrapped with pancetta 1 hour ahead. Keep chilled, covered with plastic wrap. *Available at Italian markets, cheese shops, and specialty foods shops.

from -- Gourmet
June 2004


Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

THANKS, GIRLS!